A little instrument of Portuguese ancestry born in Hawaii in the 19th century has become one of the 21st century's musical celebrities.

The ubiquity of the ukulele attests to the powerful charm of this modest instrument; indeed its very modesty is its power. This joyously musical program is full of uke enthusiasts; including Hawaiian player Doug Tolentino, who tells of the ukulele's place in his people's musical culture, and Australian virtuoso Azo Bell, who demonstrates the uke's unexpected usefulness for bebop.

Entertainer Mic Conway has some stories about the uke-playing stars of the 20s and 30s, and we'll see what a passionate primary school music teacher can do with a few dozen ukuleles and a classroom full of children. Cheap ukuleles are fine for the beginner (you can buy a playable one for $20) and it only takes one finger to make a C chord. Every musician, it seems, has a ukulele story and legions of enthusiastic amateurs around the world are embracing that sweet little four-stringed chordophone.

Produced by Robyn Johnston and David Le May Sound engineer David Le May